Fake cops killed after shoot-out with Hawks

A police officer was among the members of a ‘blue light’ gang whose attempts to hijack a truck ended in a shoot-out with the Hawks on Tuesday evening in Midrand.

Hawks spokesperson Paul Ramaloko said the bogus police gang were bust around midnight on Tuesday. The Hawks had been following the movements on the blue-light gang for some time, as they are suspected to have committed several crimes while impersonating police officers.

The five suspects were driving in a cloned marked police Chevrolet Cruze disguised as a Gauteng K9 Unit. A chase ensued and ended in a shootout in the Glen Austen area, along the Old Johannesburg Road and George Street.

“Two of the robbers were fatally injured and three were arrested on the spot. One of the Hawks’ investigating officers narrowly escaped being shot in the face, after the suspects shot right at the windscreen on the driver’s side,” said Ramaloko.

“Three of the suspects were dressed in police uniform, one was dressed in a police issued bullet-resistant vest and the other was wearing civilian clothes.”

One of the arrested suspects, a 35-year-old constable, was a serving officer attached to the Olifantsfontein Visible Policing Unit in Tembisa.

The Hawks said four firearms were found upon searching the cloned police vehicle.

“One R5 assault rifle and three handguns…two jamming devices were found on the back seat of the vehicle,” said Ramaloko.

The suspects will appear soon in the Midrand Magistrate’s Court on charges of impersonating police officers, possession of unlicensed firearms and ammunition, and possession of a motor vehicle suspected to have been stolen.

The Hawks were still working on the scene on Wednesday morning and motorists should expect delays.